Trust Assessment for Sunset Hospital
(200 kB Adobe PDF)
Extract from Traces of the Past CD (9 kB PDF)
IDENTIFICATION / LOCATION
Current Name of Place: Sunset Hospital
Street Address of Property: Birdwood Parade, Dalkeith, Nedlands
Local Government Authority: Nedlands, Perth
Title Details: Lot No: Reserve A1667/9547
Architect/Designer: Hillson Beasley
Builder: Not known
Construction Date: Community Services
Alteration/Additions Date: Health & Community services
Materials: limestone corrugated iron
STAEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The complex provides a direct link to early forms of palliative
care in WA as well as to methods of dealing with the poor. The
buildings are a fine example of the early 20th century concept
for residential care resulting from community concern for the
wel
DESCRIPTION
The extent of the assessment: all buildings on site prior to
1910 are included, together with the hospital building dating
from 1927. The grounds: including all of the area contained
in Reserve 1667/9547. The area to the south contained by a line
extending the Iris Avenue boundary to the river alignment then
eastwards some 370m and returning north of the original reservation
which contains the hot pool remnants and the site of the original
jetty.
The Buildings, to the design of Hillson Beasley to house 400
inmates, were commenced in 1904. They are basically of stone
construction with corrugated galvanised iron roofing. Limestone
for the construction was obtained from the nearby quarry at
Point Resolution. As the river was still considered a viable
means of transport, a 90m jetty and shelter (since demolished)
was included. The two-storey hospital building at the eastern
end of the complex was added later. Accommodation included three
residential ward buildings each around a central ablution facility,
administration, kitchen, dining, laundry, nurses home, superintendent's
residence and mortuary. One of the three ward blocks was used
as a hospital.
The service buildings are of considerable interest as largely
intact shells retaining a number of architectural elements typical
of the time. Significant among these is the external and internal
detail of the dining block, the mortuary and the laundry facility.
After the complex was completed, a timber framed weatherboard
and iron building known as the 'Bungalow' was removed from its
original site at the foot of Mt Eliza and was transported to
Sunset (then known as 'The Old Men's Home'). For many years
the building housed the alcoholics and the rowdier inmates of
the institution. Of great significance at the time of inspection
(1990) was the cinema projection facility in the dining room
complete with fittings.
(5 kB PDF)
Sustainable Heritage Property Management
In 1994 the Council of the National Trust and the Chairs of
the voluntary property management committees agreed to a vision
statement which said:
The National Trust properties will be financially self-supporting,
self-sustaining for all their maintenance and will represent
an important source of public education, interest, appreciation
and enjoyment of correctly interpreted heritage.
In order to achieve this vision, the Trust's Administration
developed a simple management model consisting of three parts:
a business plan, a conservation plan and an interpretation plan.
Diagrammatically it is represented by the following:
Management Plan Model for Trust Properties
This model is a useful conceptual tool with which to address
the many issues and challenging choices associated with the
ongoing management of any heritage place. Each plan must be
developed with the same rigour and attention to detail and then
related to the other plans if sustainable long term heritage
outcomes are to be achieved.
